Conventional mouth douches generally have a base provided with a water reservoir communicating with a water pump which in turn is connected, generally via extensible flexible tubing, with a hand-held nozzle or applicator designed to be inserted into the oral cavity of a user. In order to drive the pump, a motor in the base is connectable through a suitable adapter and a cable to a utility outlet. Reference in this connection may be made, for example, to a device designated "Water-Pik-Touch-Tonic" toothbrush ZT10 as described on page 206 of Vol. XXII, issue No. 17 (Sept. 1, 1971) of the German periodical for the dental profession termed "Zahnarztliche Praxis".
The use of a water-handling device connected to a high-voltage outlet in a bathroom is not without risks. In fact, a number of countries forbid the presence of such outlets in bathrooms for reasons of safety.